6 Off The Beaten Track Destinations To Check Out In 2018
These are the places to tick off your list.
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Destinations off the beaten track ought to be exactly that: unique, and outside the radar of run-of-the-mill tourism. While the world has become a ‘smaller’ place in recent years, and yesterday’s ‘unique’ is today’s ‘tourist-y’, our planet is still full of places to be discovered.
So, we’ve done our best to find some authentically adventurous destination choices, adrenalin-pumping experiences and secret spots that most travellers never discover. Here’s to the path less travelled!
Bhutan
Perhaps known best in recent memory for its ‘happiness index’ (and subsequent reputation as one of the happiest places in the world), this isolated Himalayan kingdom has been high on the discerning traveller’s list for a while now.
The only catch is that the happiness will cost you: every visitor to Bhutan needs to pay a daily tariff of US$250 as enforced by the local Tourism Council. While that might seem a bit steep, the rate covers pretty much everything you’d need to worry about, including tour company costs, accommodation, guides, vehicles, meals, entrance fees, and the rest.
Indeed, this ‘low volume, high quality’ approach to tourism means there’s never a crowd, and the pure Himalayan air and pristine skies can still be breathed in relative peace.
Norilsk
Located 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the elevator pitch here is pretty straightforward: Norilsk, Russia is one of the most isolated, industrial, and coldest cities on the planet.
With frequent days of -55C and two months of complete darkness each year (as well as two months of 24-hour sunlight in the summer), it’s also possibly the most challenging to live in (if not the most depressing – literally).
The town’s population of 175,000 endure rife anxiety, nervousness and depression as a result of such polar extremities. Why would anyone live here, you ask? Norilsk is built on some of the world’s largest nickel, copper and palladium deposits: a prosperous mining hub, which also makes it one of the most polluted cities on earth.
Norilsk is so far off the beaten path that there’s actually no path to speak of – no roads in or out, no ground connections, only waterways.
Kiribati
Hugging the equator in the middle of the Central Pacific, 1300 miles south of closest neighbour Hawaii, Kiribati is without a doubt one of the world’s most remote and beautiful island archipelagos.
A nature and beach lover’s paradise, abundant bird watching, surfing, scuba diving, and giant trevally fishing all par for the course on Kiribati. For devotees of sand and saltwater (and postcard-perfect scenes), it really does provide the ultimate escape.
Oman
A decade ago, Oman wasn’t ranking too highly on many travel blogs as a must-see spot. Routinely overlooked for the big city lights of the capitals in neighbouring UAE, a lot of things have transformed in this peninsula Gulf nation lately, and tourism has begun to boom.
The scenery and dramatic landscapes in here are nothing short of stunning: the otherworldly Al Jabal Al Akhdar mountain range, the capital Muscat and the nearby dunes of the Wahiba Sands, not to mention the ubiquitous monumental fortresses and fjords (yes, fjords), that dot the desert nation like gems.
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
The glitterati might gravitate to the French Riviera come summertime, but while Cannes and St Tropez are what coastal holiday dreams are made of, these days they’re often overcrowded.
What most don’t realise is that there’s an equally stunning, and far less frequented, stretch of coast along France’s West: the Nouvelle-Aquitaine, replete with spectacular surf beaches, proximate to Bordeaux’s world-class wine region and a litany of picturesque provincial towns and historic hubs. There’s far less glitz and less glam here, but we’re guessing that’s exactly what you’re after.
Most Of Australia
True story: the most obvious ‘non-beaten path’ is actually a massive network of them – all in our very own backyard.
Omitting the major cities and a good chunk of the east coast, Australia happens to be rife with an endless array off the beaten path adventures just waiting to be experienced.
Consider the majority of Western Australian, the Nullarbor Plain, the bulk of Tasmania and the far north around Katherine as a few starting points. Others might opt for the Wolfe Creek Crater for a little extra adrenaline rush, the delightfully remote Broome, and perhaps even the Christmas and Cocos Islands for some truly off-road, and off-continent local action.
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